Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/799779
March/April 2017 43 Changing the Way You Cook since 1990 800.988.8103 360.650.1111 woodstone-corp.com STONE HEARTH & SPECIALTY Commercial Cooking Equipment Discover why OVER 14,000 OVENS, rotisseries, charbroilers, tandoors, and planchas have been SOLD IN 80+ COUNTRIES worldwide. Made in the USA. will get bored, so I'm constantly looking for other means to challenge myself. Jay and Brian were receptive to that. N&V: That's a great segue into your career track. How have they accommodated your need for variety? Anderson: Over the years, they've defi nitely been aware of my talents and my strengths. There was a time when they could tell I was really looking to do more and, in trying to fi gure that out, Brian approached me. I told him about my desire to look into getting a GSA contract for Globe and I was allowed to run with it. After that, things really took off for me. It took me just a year to obtain the contract. Typical GSA con- tracts can take several years before they're approved. N&V: There's a lot of minutia involved in GSAs. Anderson: There's a lot of paperwork, a lot of paper trails, a lot of letters that need to be written and a lot of things that I had to read, re-read, and read again before I really understood what I was reading. We've had the contract for seven years. N&V: Can you tell me a bit more about how your job has changed during your 10 years at Globe? Anderson: Now I oversee someone else that's writing the marketing content for the website. I still do a little of that because I post the information on GSA Advantage, and I do a bit of marketing when there are slumps in the GSA year. I also have some local customers that I've worked with for the last few years, and a few new ones that have evolved over time. We have outside salesmen that handle the local area but over the last several years I've picked up some of my own. N&V: Sounds like there's enough to keep you busy. Anderson: There's defi nitely enough to keep me busy and I look forward to continued growth with Globe. N&V: Time and time again, I've heard vets in our industry say that once you become a part of it, you don't want to leave. Anderson: Coming from corporate, one of the things that really impressed me about the industry was the longevity of their employees. There are genuine friendships developed from rep levels to competing companies to our customers. There is always so much to learn and share. This industry is certainly never boring. It's a a shame that we haven't found a better way to promote it. N&V: Having had the opportunity to speak with quite a few Gen Xers and Millennials, there are defi nitely similarities among those who thrive in our industry, and I think it would be helpful to develop a profi le. Drawing from your marketing experience, how would you sell the industry? Anderson: There are so many career paths in this industry, whether you're interested in marketing, sales, design, or cus- tomer service, there's something for everyone. The business model is constantly changing and there is no room for bore- dom. I'd like to see more of the equipment side introduced in schools—the way the culinary arts and hospitality industries have found their niche. • Flexibility to Make the Job My Own • Room for Growth • Training and Development (Teach me the ins and outs of the entire industry. I don't want any holes.) • Trust in My Abilities • Work/Life Balance "One of the things that drove me crazy in Corporate America was being microman- aged. Trust in me after I've given the time to earn it. Respect that I'm a mother and afford me the time to be one. Being able to go home at the end of the day and leave work is priceless." -Billie Jo Anderson 5 M U ST HA VE S . . .